Cape Town – Retired Springbok star Adriaan Richter has made headlines after putting his cherished 1995 Rugby World Cup winners’ medal and associated trophy up for auction, a move he said was driven by pressing financial struggles.
Richter, part of the triumphant Springbok squad that clinched the Webb Ellis Cup in South Africa’s historic victory over the All Blacks, confirmed the medal sold for R62 500 at auction, while the miniature trophy went for R34 000.
“I definitely didn’t sell it because I wanted to,” Richter told reporters, adding, “It’s just because we live in South Africa, and I can’t find work. It’s not nice,” Richter said, according to The South African.
He explained that attempts to find stable employment since retiring from professional rugby in the late 1990s had been unsuccessful, leaving him with few options.
“At my age, I can’t find work either. Nobody wants to hire me.”
It’s absolutely dire,” he said, emphasising the personal difficulties behind his decision.
The auction, held by Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers, attracted attention not only for the sale of the medal and trophy but also as a stark reflection of the financial challenges some former players face post-retirement.
Richter is not alone among retired Springboks to experience hardship; other former internationals have also publicly faced financial difficulties after their careers ended.
While the Springboks remain a powerhouse in world rugby — with strong institutional support and commercial revenue helping underwrite national and development programmes — individual players’ post-career circumstances can vary widely.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
